


Heart Inertia

by chromochaotic



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Fluff, Fluffy Ending, Introspection, Light Angst, M/M, Symbolism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-02
Updated: 2016-08-02
Packaged: 2018-07-28 22:42:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7659736
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chromochaotic/pseuds/chromochaotic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One day, Hinata Shouyou's mother sits him down and explains: when you touch someone, the vivid feeling you get is actually a clear, open look at their heart. It's why holding hands with Natsu makes him see summer carnivals, and why his friends say he "looks" like a mountain clearing. </p><p>But she also mentions that meeting your soulmate can cause your heart to change. That day leaves Hinata wondering, years afterward, just what it means when he finds his own world growing brighter.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Heart Inertia

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to @potatofuzz and @honey-beep on tumblr for beta'ing!! I've been meaning to write this cheesy little AU for a while, but they helped me finally feel up to posting it!
> 
> The title's from an Incubus song that I realized really fits the fic, haha. Like this:
> 
> "You're a mountain that I'd like to climb  
> Not to conquer, but to share in the view  
> You're a bonfire and I'm gathered 'round you"

One day when Hinata Shouyu is 10 years old, his mother sits him down on the couch for a talk. The pleather sticks to the underside of his legs, and he really wishes she would let him go back outside to play catch with his friends. “You already gave me The Talk last week,” he whines, “I thought we were done.”

“This will only take a minute, Sunshine.” She hides a smile at her son’s wiggling behind her hand, sparing his young pride. Then, she studies him for a moment, and in the pause they can both hear the tumble of Natsu’s building blocks in the room over. “This time, I wanted to talk to you about that feeling you get, when you hold hands with your classmates, or when Grandma pats your hair. When it feels like you’re going somewhere else.”

Hinata nods his head, eager to run back out with his friends. He already knows this: knows how when you touch someone else, you see a different place in your head for a moment, like Natsu’s carnival on the beach or his mother’s pretty, quiet forest. The longer you touch someone, the clearer look you get; it makes brushing through the hallways at school like flipping through an amazing picture book.

His mother speaks again to capture his young attention. “Well, Hinata, that feeling is like getting a look at someone’s heart. It’s who that person is.” Hinata’s eyes go wide. “And one day, when you meet someone who will be very special to you, the way your heart looks will change just a little bit. Like they’re a part of it. You might not even realize it, at first.” Her gaze goes soft as she wistfully remembers, “I bet you didn’t know, there weren’t any butterflies in my trees until after I bumped into your father… And, well.” She returns her sight to Hinata. “You know what your heart looks like now, don’t you?”

“Um…” Hinata tilts his head to the side as he thinks. He remembers what some of his friends have told him, and every once in awhile, he’ll dream of his place. But the last time that happened was when he was 8, maybe. He says “yes” anyway to his mom, thinking that this is probably something a smart kid should know about themselves.

His mother smiles at him, and ruffles his hair one more time. “I just wanted you to know that your heart is very special, and the way it looks is one of my favorite places. And even if it changes some day, I’m sure it’ll still be one of the most amazing hearts I’ve ever seen.” Sighing, she stands up from the couch with a squeak of the pleather. “Now get on back out there, kiddo.”

Hinata gets up slowly, mumbling, “Thanks, Mom.” His trot back outside is subdued, as he thinks over their conversation. It isn’t long until, curiosity tempted, he peeks inside Natsu’s room and approaches where she’s kneeling in the middle of all her toys.

“Hey, Natsu? Could you do me a favor real quick?”

She looks up from where she’s been redressing her dolls, one of them now in an odd combination of a neon orange jacket and dark green shorts. She nods at her brother and sets the doll down.

“Could you tell me what you see when we hold hands? And what it feels like?” With that, Hinata sits in front of her and holds one palm out in the space between them.

Natsu nods her head, little pigtails bobbing. Small fingers reach out and clasp Hinata’s hand. Her carnival scene touches his mind familiarly; Hinata wonders for a moment why his sister’s fingers are sticky. Then, he watches Natsu’s face as her eyes close, cheeks puffed out in concentration.

“A big mountain,” her airy voices wavers. “Really, really high up.” Hinata perks; that sounds cool. “Trees, and, clouds. And… people! Really far down!” Natsu takes in a deep breath, like she’s in awe of something. “Little houses, and streets, and teeny tiny cars… And, windy up here. And…”

Hinata nods, heart beating a little fast and liking what he’s hearing so far. So this is what he looks like inside.

Natsu opens her eyes, brows furrowed. Her expression is odd when she meets Hinata’s eyes, and if he didn’t know any better, he’d say she looks sad. She’s just a little kid, though.

“Brother,” she says, “it’s… lonely.”

* * *

Hinata remembers that day, sitting on the couch with his mother, and then talking with Natsu among her scattered toys, and thinks of it now and then over the next few years. It didn’t concern him too much afterward, honestly. Sure, his stomach had dropped a little when she called his heart “lonely.” And maybe he spent some time browsing through books, and looking up articles about heart-sensation-psychology late at night when his room felt too big. But he had friends, he had buddies who he could play catch with, and go with to see movies.

For some reason though, the memory resurfaces on a day in his 3rd year of middle school. He’s just making his way out of the school gym. Earlier, the girl’s volleyball team had left the building for a run, and it gave him time to toss the ball against the wall for a bit.

He thinks of the way the volleyball’s smack had echoed in the empty gym; thinks of the way it could echo, maybe, with shouts of teammates, and maybe someone who could give him ice for his sore hand. And then the memory from when he was 10 plays, and he thinks of the lonely mountaintop, and his sister’s sad face.

Hinata stops in his tracks for a moment, halfway back to the school building. He didn’t realize he had started crying.

Quickly, he scrubs his shirt’s sleeve over his face, before he heads back inside.

* * *

Hinata’s first day of high school is maybe a little more eventful than even he’d hoped, after his whole fiasco trying to join the volleyball club. He’s still optimistic, though, and curious to learn more about his potential new teammates. There’s still so much for him to find out… On the other hand, there’s nothing like a quick snapshot of someone’s heart to tell you a bit about them.

First, there was the sturdy Captain, Daichi. When he clapped his hand ominously on Hinata and Kageyama’s shoulders before gently forcing them out of the gym, it gave Hinata a quick sensation of ancient stone, carved out slowly and diligently into a temple.

Then, there was the moment that wild upperclassman, Tanaka, had patted him on the back a few times. Those points of contact were so brief, Hinata really only took in a sense of movement, and maybe a strain of music.

And a short while afterward, that weirdo Kageyama had gotten handsy when Hinata questioned his motive for being the team’s setter. Hinata wasn’t too surprised as the scene of relentless, rushing water touched his mind, the violent waterfall impressive if intimidating.

But, Hinata’s most interesting exchange of the day is probably the one taking place as he unchains his bike. Another 1st year from his class also seemed to be leaving late, and now the two of them have gotten to chatting. As a sign of friendliness, Hinata extends his hand; he’s pleased when his classmate readily takes it in a firm handshake.

“Hey, cool mountain!” the boy comments. “The view is awesome!”

Hinata smiles. “Thanks! Your stream and that bridge are cool, too!”

They then unclasp their hands, and Hinata’s just about to finish unchaining his bike from the rack when the kind classmate continues, “Yeah, you know, your campfire in the middle was really nice. Such a good smell.”

“Wha--” Hinata freezes, staring straight ahead through the spokes of his wheel. He glances up to the other boy in shock. “What did you say--”

No one’s ever mentioned a campfire before. Hinata’s pretty sure he would have known about it by now, after all the little comments he’s gotten, or the couple of deep dreams he’s had.

The new classmate is looking at him uncertainly, put off by Hinata’s weird reaction. Hinata laughs to try and backpedal. “I mean, uh, nevermind! Thank you for the compliment!”

The other boy smiles a little nervously, and resumes guiding his bike away from the rack. “Oh, don’t mention it. Well it was nice to meet you, Hinata-san!”

“Nice to meet you too!” he calls. He waits for a stretch, crouching by his bike in the early evening’s stillness. Finally, the other student’s figure on its bike disappears around the street’s bend.

Hinata feels like he can think, now. He tries to remember what his mother told him about his heart changing how it looks, so many years ago. She had called it “when you meet someone who will be very special,” right? Some of the cheesier articles online called that person a “soulmate,” he’s pretty sure. That would mean that at some point, he met his… “person,” today.

Hinata thinks through all the people he came into contact with, but between classroom crowds, hallways, the entrance ceremony, and the stressful first volleyball club meeting he’d just left, Hinata wouldn’t be able to focus clearly on the memory of any particular new face from the day. It doesn’t stop him from racking his brain as he bikes home, wondering desperately who they could be, and what the campfire on his little mountaintop could mean.

* * *

It’s the night after his first official practice game with the Karasuno Volleyball Club, and Hinata feels like he’s been walking on air ever since he stepped off the bus back at campus. It’s like things finally clicked, today. Or maybe, a series of things have been clicking together over the last few weeks, like pieces of a rubik’s cube finally lining up.

 _I feel like part of a team!_ Hinata keeps thinking.

The thought crosses his mind one more time right before he falls asleep, and in answer, his brain replays the voice of a particular brash upperclassman: _“Not like, it’s for real!”_

* * *

That night, Hinata dreams of his own heart.

It’s been a while, he realizes; most of it is familiar, like the leaves that quiver like spinning coins on the trees, and the brisk whipping of the wind. But, new and delightful in the middle of his little wilderness clearing is the campfire he’s only recently heard about. It crackles steadily in the confines of its stone-lined pit, cutting through the blustery chill of Hinata’s mountain. He seats himself on a perfectly placed log, staring joyfully into the snapping flames before him, and feels its warmth envelope him from his ears to his fingertips to his curled, cold toes.

The oddest thing, though, is the feeling Hinata gets of company. The air holds a lingering sensation of another presence, like they built the fire and have stepped away just for a moment, just to retrieve more supplies, or to stroll about the mountain’s ridge briefly. At his core, Hinata knows he’s not alone—the flames before him are vibrant, certain proof of this.

It’s the most wonderful sleep Hinata’s had in years.

* * *

Recently, Hinata dreams more and more often of his heart. He uses some of the visits to search his own landscape, balancing his way across felled logs, or observing interesting beetles on their bark. But other times, he remains in his windy clearing, breathing in the crisp air as he smiles at the town in the valley below. It’s easier to pause and take stock of things with the campfire dancing gently at his side, always waiting there for him and steady in its warmth. Hinata swears there’s something familiar about the flames as he sits there watching it, drawing comfort. Even the act of bringing it more kindling and twigs, and watching it blaze hotly in response reminds Hinata of some happy memory from his waking life.

Hinata might not know who gave him the fire, but over the months, it grows stronger and brighter in his dreams. Between it, and the frequent exhaustion that comes from his time with the volleyball club, Hinata’s slept exceptionally deeply and soundly during his time at Karasuno.

He’s looking forward to that warmth once again enveloping him as he clambers aboard the club bus. After another satisfying if draining practice game, the team is all set to return home and recover. Hinata hopes to stretch out for a particularly good after-game nap as he makes his way to the back of the bus.

He isn’t deterred at all when he sees his drowsy upperclassman, Tanaka, already tucked into the back right corner seat. In fact, something about his senior’s slack expression and loosely draped limbs make Hinata feel fortunate just to see it. Hinata’s sentimental heart can’t fight the feeling, like he’s lucky to see Tanaka in just this light, in just this moment, even if it will only last for the ride back to Karasuno.

Deciding to immerse himself in the strange impermanence of the scene, Hinata moves closer to the back seat. The movement is apparently enough to wake Tanaka, though, who raises his head slightly to recognize Hinata.

“Oooh, Hinata,” Tanaka says through the persistent haze of sleep. His voice rasps with the wear and tear of a game’s yelling, and paired with Tanaka’s usual open friendliness, it’s one of Hinata’s favorite ways to hear his name. “Get over here, I need a pillow… ‘n’ yer the perfect height…”

Hinata smiles, yawns, and makes his way over. “Don’t use my height against me, Tanaka-san.”

“’m sayin’ it’s a good thing,” Tanaka mumbles, straightening just enough that Hinata can take the seat he was half-covering before, and then slumping once again to rest his head against Hinata’s hair.

It doesn’t take long for Tanaka’s heart—a scene of vibrant city life—to start seeping into Hinata’s consciousness. He’s caught slightly longer glimpses of it now, with every slap of Tanaka’s hand on his back, or scratch of his fingers through Hinata’s hair. This is the first time Hinata’s gotten to sit back and explore it, though.

It really is perfect for Tanaka. In the bustling square of this city, street performers work together to fill the air with riffs of rock ballads, and then cascades of machine-perfect drumming, and then the tinny blast of a breakdancer’s stereo. In his head, Hinata’s fascinated by the activity everywhere he looks. He continues to tour around the blocks in awe, smiling at huge splashes of murals and towering, abstract metal sculptures. It’s a little funny, too, to see crows so like their team’s namesake fluttering among alleys and stoplights, but then Tanaka’s always been a bit like their mascot, anyway.

Gradually, Hinata picks up on a quieter sound among the symphony of city life; gentle plucks of a guitar guide him away from the main hustle, to a highrise’s lobby, up a winding flight of stairs and down a quiet hallway. Near the end of the hall, one of the many doors sits ajar, and Hinata noses his way inside to where the guitar sound is clearer.

Hinata finds himself in an unexpectedly tranquil little studio apartment. Small plants line the sills of windows that have been left open to let in the sunny breeze, and a few posters are tacked onto the light walls. A messy bed takes up most of one corner, and the white sheets seem just ruffled enough to be inviting. Sounds from the streets below filter in distantly, but above it all, there’s the traipsing melody of the guitar coming from a record player carefully placed beside the bed. Hinata is enchanted with the space, and imagines himself resting here forever.

Just as Hinata is about to sink into a deeper, more abstract sleep, the real murmur of Tanaka’s voice reaches him. “Nifty fire you’ve got goin’ here, Hinata.”

“Thanks,” Hinata says around a yawn. “It hasn’t always been there… I think it showed up around my first day of high school.” After Tanaka hums in acknowledgement, they’re both quiet again for a moment. Then, Hinata decides to return the compliment. “Tanaka-san, this apartment is really cool.”

Tanaka’s laugh is perhaps the quietest Hinata’s ever heard from him, softened by sleep and contentment. “Yeah… I think so too. It’s like, somebody looked at my place ‘n’ said, ‘I think I’ll stick around here.’” Then, Tanaka stretches and opens his eyes, causing Hinata to blink blearily too. “It, ah, showed up around the first day of my second year.”

“Hm.”

Both of the boys breathe quietly for spell, staring vacantly into the space ahead of them.

And then, _wait_.

A strange sensation, a bit like curtains from different windows being blown away and tangling together, overcomes both of them—Hinata feels fire surging inside him, and at the same time he hears a flood of dizzying acoustic notes all around.

And he sits up and looks at Tanaka, and Tanaka stares back at him and _of course of course of course it’s him._

With both of them moving, it’s just a matter of mass and physics that Hinata ends up tackled against the bus seats, he and Tanaka clinging to each other and laughing because—because, he’s not even sure why. Maybe because it should have been so obvious? But they’re high schoolers, and athletes, and honestly there are other things on their minds sometimes but still Hinata should have  _known_.

It doesn’t matter so much now, though. Not much matters at all to them outside of each other in that moment, so neither of them register the tired shushing they’re getting from their awoken teammates, or Tsukishima’s muttered “finally,” or Noya’s dramatic gasp of realization. Hinata just nuzzles into Tanaka’s neck, and smiles, and when Tanaka pulls away from him to look down Hinata _still_ hasn’t completely gotten his breath back from the recent rush.

“So, Hinata Shouyou,” Tanaka drawls with a ridiculous grin. “You’re the love of my life.”

“Looks like it,” Hinata smiles back, voice nearly cracking.

And what he was feeling was probably the farthest thing from lonely.  

**Author's Note:**

> Hope that was cute! I'm sorry I only have really weird AUs planned for the ship right now, haha


End file.
